JP7413404B2 - Cushioning materials, cushioning structures, soles and shoes - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cushioning material that alleviates impact, a cushioning structure including a plurality of the cushioning materials, a shoe sole including these cushioning materials or the cushioning structure, and shoes including the sole.

BACKGROUND ART Various types of cushioning materials for mitigating impact have been known and are used depending on the purpose. For example, in shoes, a cushioning material is sometimes provided on the sole of the shoe in order to reduce the impact that occurs when the user lands on the ground. Resin or rubber is generally used as the cushioning material provided on the sole of the shoe.

In recent years, shoes have been developed in which the sole is provided with a portion having a lattice structure or a web structure, and the cushioning function is improved not only in terms of materials but also in terms of structure. An example of a shoe with a sole provided with a portion having a lattice structure is disclosed in US Patent Publication No. 2018/0049514, for example.

US Patent Publication No. 2018/0049514

The present invention aims to provide a novel cushioning material with structurally enhanced buffering function that can be used for various purposes, and a cushioning structure equipped with a plurality of the cushioning materials. Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe sole equipped with these novel cushioning materials or cushioning structures, and shoes equipped with the sole.

The cushioning material according to the present invention has a first end surface and a second end surface that face each other in the axial direction, which is the direction in which the axis line extends, and a plurality of connection surfaces that connect the periphery of the first end surface and the periphery of the second end surface. The outer surface has a columnar shape. The first end face has an N-gonal outer shape (N is an integer of 3 or more) when viewed along the axial direction, and the second end face has an M polygonal outer shape when viewed along the axial direction. It is a square (M is an integer greater than or equal to 4 and greater than N). (MN) vertices are provided at intermediate positions in the axial direction of the circumferential surface defined by the plurality of connecting surfaces. In the cushioning material according to the present invention, the buffer material is arranged so that one of the N vertices of the first end surface is reached from the (MN) vertices provided on the circumferential surface. A first ridge line of the book is provided, and extends from the (MN) vertices provided on the circumferential surface to two adjacent vertices in the circumferential direction among the M vertices provided on the second end surface. Two second ridge lines are provided so as to reach the remaining apex of the M vertices of the second end surface from the remaining apex of the N vertices of the first end surface. (2×NM) third ridge lines are provided. The ridgelines included in the first ridgeline, the second ridgeline, and the third ridgeline do not intersect with each other. As a result, in the cushioning material according to the present invention, the plurality of connection surfaces are defined by the ridge lines included in the first ridge line, the second ridge line, and the third ridge line.

A buffer structure according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of cushioning materials according to the present invention described above.

A buffer structure according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a buffer unit formed by combining a plurality of buffer materials into a unit. Each of the plurality of cushioning materials is made of the cushioning material according to the present invention described above. The plurality of cushioning materials are arranged adjacent to each other such that the connection surfaces defined by the first ridgeline and the second ridgeline, among the plurality of connection surfaces that they each have, face each other with a gap between them. has been done. In the buffer structure based on the second aspect of the present invention, the size of the gap formed between the plurality of buffer materials is substantially constant.

A buffer structure according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of sets of the above-mentioned buffer units included in the buffer structure according to the second aspect of the present invention.

A buffer structure according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes a buffer unit formed by combining a plurality of buffer materials into a unit. Each of the plurality of cushioning materials is made of the cushioning material according to the present invention described above. The plurality of cushioning materials are arranged adjacent to each other such that among the plurality of connection surfaces that they each have, the connection surfaces defined only by the third ridge line face each other with a gap between them. In the buffer structure based on the fourth aspect of the present invention, the size of the gap formed between the plurality of buffer materials is substantially constant.

A buffer structure according to a fifth aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of sets of the above-mentioned buffer units included in the buffer structure according to the fourth aspect of the present invention.

A shoe sole according to a first aspect of the present invention includes the above-described cushioning material according to the present invention.

A shoe sole according to the second aspect of the present invention includes any one of the buffer structures according to the first to fifth aspects of the present invention described above.

A shoe according to the present invention includes either the sole according to the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, and an upper provided above the sole.

The cushioning material according to the present invention described above has a part or all of the portion where the first end surface, the second end surface, and the plurality of connection surfaces connect with each other (i.e., the one first ridgeline, The above two second ridge lines, the third ridge line of the above (2×NM) books, and some or all of the above plurality of vertices) are acute, obtuse, or right angle angles in the strict sense. Some or all of the portions do not need to have a plane or curved surface that is sufficiently smaller than the first end surface, the second end surface, and the plurality of connecting surfaces of the adjacent portions. may be connected. That is, some or all of these portions may be chamfered, for example, or may have a rounded shape. Moreover, a part or all of the first end surface, the second end surface, and the plurality of connection surfaces may be flat or curved. Furthermore, a recessed portion, a convex portion, or the like may be provided in part or all of the first end surface, the second end surface, and the plurality of connection surfaces.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a novel cushioning material that can be used for various purposes and has a structurally enhanced buffering function, and a cushioning structure that includes a plurality of the cushioning materials. In addition, it becomes possible to provide a shoe sole equipped with these novel cushioning materials or cushioning structures, and shoes equipped with the shoe sole.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cushioning material according to the first embodiment. 2 is a plan view, a bottom view, and a side view of the cushioning material shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cushioning material according to a first modification. 4 is a plan view, a bottom view, and a side view of the cushioning material shown in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cushioning material according to a second modification. 6 is a plan view, a bottom view, and a side view of the cushioning material shown in FIG. 5. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cushioning material according to a third modification. 8A is a plan view, a bottom view, and a side view of the cushioning material shown in FIG. 7. FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a buffer structure according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway side view of a buffer structure according to Embodiment 3; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a buffer structure according to a fourth embodiment. 12 is a plan view, a bottom view, and a side view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 11. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a buffer structure according to a fifth embodiment. 16 is a plan view, a bottom view, and a side view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 15. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 15. FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 15. FIG. FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a buffer structure according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a buffer structure according to a seventh embodiment. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a buffer structure according to an eighth embodiment. FIG. 22 is a plan view, a bottom view, and a side view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 21. 22 is an exploded perspective view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 21. FIG. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 21. FIG. It is a perspective view of the buffer structure concerning the 4th modification. It is a perspective view of the buffer structure concerning the 5th modification. It is a perspective view of the buffer structure concerning a 6th modification. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a buffer structure according to a ninth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a buffer structure according to a tenth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a buffer structure according to an eleventh embodiment. FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a buffer structure according to a twelfth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a buffer structure according to a thirteenth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a shoe sole and a shoe including the same according to a fourteenth embodiment. FIG. 34 is a plan view of the sole shown in FIG. 33; FIG. 7 is a plan view of the sole of a shoe according to Embodiment 15. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the sole of a shoe according to Embodiment 16, viewed from the top side. FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the shoe sole shown in FIG. 36 viewed from the ground contact side. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the sole of a shoe according to Embodiment 17, viewed from the ground contact side. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the sole of a shoe according to Embodiment 18, viewed from the ground-contact side. FIG. 40 is a plan view of the sole shown in FIG. 39; FIG. 40 is a side view of the sole shown in FIG. 39; FIG. 40 is a schematic bottom view of the sole shown in FIG. 39; FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the sole of a shoe according to Embodiment 19, viewed from the ground-contact side. FIG. 44 is a plan view of the sole shown in FIG. 43; FIG. 44 is a side view of the sole shown in FIG. 43; 44 is a schematic bottom view of the sole shown in FIG. 43. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described below, the same or common parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cushioning material according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2(A) is a plan view of the cushioning material viewed from the direction of arrow IIA shown in FIG. FIG. 2(B) is a bottom view of the cushioning material viewed from the direction of arrow IIB shown in FIG. FIG. 2(C) is a side view of the cushioning material seen from the direction of arrow IIC shown in FIG. The cushioning material 1A according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2(A) to 2(C).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(A) to 2(C), the cushioning material 1A has a columnar outer surface defined by a first end surface ES1, a second end surface ES2, and a plurality of connection surfaces CS. Consists of parts. The first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2 are opposed to each other in the axial direction, which is the direction in which the axis AX1 of the cushioning material 1A extends, and the plurality of connection surfaces CS are the peripheral edges of the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2. By connecting the peripheral edges, a peripheral surface surrounding the axis AX1 of the cushioning material 1A is defined.

The first end surface ES1 is a plane having a pentagonal outer shape when viewed along the axial direction. The second end surface ES2 is a plane having a hexagonal outer shape when viewed along the axial direction. That is, in this embodiment, N is 5 and M is 6.

The plurality of connecting surfaces CS includes a total of six curved surfaces: one curved surface having a substantially triangular outer shape, three curved surfaces having a substantially quadrangular outer shape, and two curved surfaces having a substantially pentagonal outer shape.

One vertex P is provided at an intermediate position in the axial direction of the circumferential surface defined by the plurality of connection surfaces CS. One first ridge line L1 extends from the vertex P to reach one of the five vertices of the first end surface ES1. Furthermore, two second ridge lines L2 extend from the apex P so as to reach two vertices adjacent in the circumferential direction among the six vertices that the second end surface ES2 has.

Among the five vertices of the first end face, excluding the one vertex connected to the first ridge line L1 mentioned above, from the remaining four vertices, among the six vertices of the second end face, the above-mentioned Four third ridge lines L3 extend to reach the remaining four vertices excluding the two vertices connected to the second ridge line L2. These one first ridgeline L1, two second ridgelines L2, and four third ridgelines L3 extend without intersecting each other.

As a result, the plurality of connection surfaces CS described above are defined by the one first ridgeline L1, the two second ridgelines L2, and the four third ridgelines L3. More specifically, the connection surface CS surrounded by the two second ridge lines L2 and one side of the second end surface ES2 corresponds to one curved surface having the above-mentioned approximately triangular outline, and the adjacent two The connecting surface CS surrounded by the third ridge line L3 of the book, one side of the first end surface ES1, and one side of the second end surface ES2 corresponds to each of the three curved surfaces having the above-mentioned substantially rectangular outer shape, and one A connection surface CS surrounded by the first ridge line L1, one of the two second ridge lines L2, one third ridge line L3 adjacent thereto, one side of the first end surface ES1, and one side of the second end surface ES2, This corresponds to the two curved surfaces having the substantially pentagonal outer shape described above.

Here, when viewed along the axial direction, the pair of end faces has a polygonal outer shape having a different number of vertices, and the apex is provided halfway between the pair of end faces, and the vertices included in the pair of end faces are If the cushioning material has a three-dimensional structure in which the vertices provided at the intermediate positions are connected by the minimum number of ridge lines so that they do not intersect with each other, the pair of end faces should be configured as a plane as described above. Instead, these may be configured as curved surfaces, or the plurality of connection surfaces may be configured as flat surfaces instead of as curved surfaces as described above.

The cushioning material 1A according to the present embodiment described above exhibits a high buffering function in the axial direction in which the axis AX1 described above extends. This is due to the structural characteristics (shape characteristics) of the cushioning material 1A.

That is, when an external force is applied in a direction that compresses the cushioning material 1A along the axial direction described above, a stress field is generated in which the cushioning material 1A undergoes compressive deformation along the axial direction, as well as shearing deformation. A stress field is also generated. This is because the plurality of connection surfaces CS described above all extend in a direction intersecting the axial direction, and a complex stress field is generated due to the external shape. In other words, since the main axis of deformation of the cushioning material 1A is different from the load direction (i.e., the axial direction of the cushioning material 1A), shear deformation is much more likely to occur compared to a prismatic or cylindrical cushioning material that matches this axis. Become.

Therefore, the amount of deformation per volume increases to the extent that shear deformation is more likely to occur, and accordingly, it has a high deformability. Therefore, by using the cushioning material 1A according to the present embodiment, it is possible to realize a lightweight cushioning material that exhibits a high cushioning function.

The material of the cushioning material 1A may basically be any material as long as it is highly elastic, but resin or rubber is preferable. As a more specific material, when the cushioning material 1A is made of resin, for example, a thermoplastic material such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic polyamide elastomer (TPAE), etc. It can be a plastic resin. On the other hand, when the cushioning material 1A is made of rubber, it can be made of, for example, butadiene rubber.

Here, the cushioning material 1A may be made of a foam material of the various materials mentioned above, or may be made of a non-foam material. In particular, if the cushioning material 1A is made of a resin or rubber foam material, it can easily be made into a lightweight cushioning material that exhibits a high cushioning function.

The cushioning material 1A can also be made of a foam material or a non-foam material of a polymer composition. In this case, examples of the polymer contained in the polymer composition include olefin polymers such as olefin elastomers and olefin resins. Examples of olefin polymers include polyethylene (for example, linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), etc.), polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, propylene-1-hexene copolymer, propylene-4 -Methyl-1-pentene copolymer, propylene-1-butene copolymer, ethylene-1-hexene copolymer, ethylene-4-methyl-pentene copolymer, ethylene-1-butene copolymer, 1- Butene-1-hexene copolymer, 1-butene-4-methyl-pentene, ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer, ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, ethylene-ethyl methacrylate copolymer, ethylene-butyl methacrylate Copolymer, ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymer, propylene-methacrylic acid copolymer, propylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, propylene-ethyl methacrylate Copolymer, propylene-butyl methacrylate copolymer, propylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, propylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, propylene-butyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), propylene- Examples include polyolefins such as vinyl acetate copolymers.

Further, the polymer may be an amide polymer such as an amide elastomer or an amide resin. Examples of the amide polymer include polyamide 6, polyamide 11, polyamide 12, polyamide 66, polyamide 610, and the like.

Further, the polymer may be an ester polymer such as an ester elastomer or an ester resin. Examples of the ester polymer include polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate.

Further, the above-mentioned polymer may be a urethane-based polymer such as a urethane-based elastomer or a urethane-based resin. Examples of the urethane-based polymer include polyester-based polyurethane, polyether-based polyurethane, and the like.

Further, the polymer may be a styrene polymer such as a styrene elastomer or a styrene resin. Styrene-based elastomers include styrene-ethylene-butylene copolymer (SEB), styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer (SBS), and hydrogenated product of SBS (styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene copolymer (SEBS)). , styrene-isoprene-styrene copolymer (SIS), hydrogenated product of SIS (styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene copolymer (SEPS)), styrene-isobutylene-styrene copolymer (SIBS), styrene-butadiene- Examples include styrene-butadiene (SBSB), styrene-butadiene-styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBSBS), and the like. Examples of the styrene resin include polystyrene, acrylonitrile styrene resin (AS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin (ABS), and the like.

The above-mentioned polymers include, for example, acrylic polymers such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride resins, silicone elastomers, butadiene rubber (BR), isoprene rubber (IR), chloroprene rubber (CR), and natural rubber (NR). , styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), butyl rubber (IIR), and the like.

Here, the cushioning material 1A may be solid or hollow. Although a solid shape has lower deformability than a hollow shape, it has excellent mechanical strength and is advantageous in terms of durability. When a hollow shape is used, the mechanical strength is inferior to that when a solid shape is used, and the durability is lowered, but a high buffering function is exhibited.

In addition, in this embodiment, a cushioning material 1A in which the first end surface ES1 is pentagonal and the second end surface ES2 is hexagonal (that is, N is 5 and M is 6) will be described as an example. However, by making the first end surface ES1 an N-gon (N is an integer of 3 or more) and the second end surface ES2 an M-gon (M is an integer of 4 or more and larger than N), the above-mentioned It can be made into a lightweight cushioning material that exhibits a high cushioning function.

However, the above M is preferably 10 or less, and in that case, the above N is 9 or less. This is because if the number of vertices of each of the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2 becomes too large, the outer shape of the cushioning material will be substantially approximated to a cylindrical shape, and the above-mentioned shear field will not occur. This is because they are suppressed.

The method for manufacturing the above-mentioned cushioning material 1A is not particularly limited, but the cushioning material 1A can be manufactured by, for example, injection molding using a mold, modeling using a three-dimensional modeling device, or using a mold. It can be manufactured by thermoforming (press molding), shaping by cutting, etc.

Here, in the specific design of the cushioning material, the number and position of the vertices of the first end surface ES1, the number and position of the vertices of the second end surface ES2, etc. By variously changing the number and position of the vertices P provided, the position, inclination, curvature, etc. of the first to third ridge lines L1 to L3 connecting these vertices, changes will occur in the buffering performance exhibited. Therefore, by optimizing these factors, a cushioning material that exhibits the desired cushioning function can be obtained.

(First to third variations)
In the following, structural features that are particularly effective factors in improving the cushioning performance will be explained in the specific design of the above-mentioned cushioning material. Cushioning materials 1B to 1D according to the first to third modified examples shown below are based on the cushioning material 1A according to the present embodiment described above, and various structural (shape) changes are made thereto. It is something.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cushioning material according to a first modification. FIG. 4(A) is a plan view of the cushioning material viewed from the direction of arrow IVA shown in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 4(B) is a bottom view of the cushioning material viewed from the direction of arrow IVB shown in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 4(C) is a side view of the cushioning material viewed from the direction of arrow IVC shown in FIG. 3. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C), the cushioning material 1B according to the first modification example is different from the above-mentioned cushioning material 1A in that the cushioning material 1B according to the first modification is The area of the end surface ES1 is reduced. In this case, compared to the above-mentioned cushioning material 1A, the slopes of the first ridgeline L1 and the third ridgeline L3 are larger, and the cushioning material 1B has a tapered shape whose cross-sectional area becomes smaller toward the first end surface ES1 side. will have.

In the case of such a cushioning material 1B, since the inclinations of the first ridge line L1 and the third ridge line L3 are larger than in the above-mentioned cushioning material 1A, shearing occurs when a load is applied along the axial direction. Deformation is more likely to occur. Therefore, the amount of deformation per volume increases to the extent that shear deformation is more likely to occur, and accordingly, it has a high deformability. Therefore, by using the cushioning material 1B according to this modification, it is possible to obtain a lightweight cushioning material that exhibits a higher buffering function compared to the cushioning material 1A. That is, by increasing the difference in area between the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2, it becomes possible to improve the buffering function.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cushioning material according to a second modification. FIG. 6(A) is a plan view of the cushioning material viewed from the direction of arrow VIA shown in FIG. 5. FIG. FIG. 6(B) is a bottom view of the cushioning material viewed from the direction of arrow VIB shown in FIG. 5. FIG. FIG. 6(C) is a side view of the cushioning material viewed from the direction of arrow VIC shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6(A) to 6(C), the cushioning material 1C according to the second modification example is different from the above-mentioned cushioning material 1A in that the cushioning material 1C according to the second modification is The position of the end surface ES1 is moved in a direction away from the vertex P. In this case, the inclination of the first ridge line L1 is greater than that of the cushioning material 1A described above, and the cushioning material 1C as a whole has a shape tilted in one direction.

In the case of such a cushioning material 1C, shear deformation occurs more when a load is applied along the axial direction due to the larger inclination of the first ridge line L1 than in the above-mentioned cushioning material 1A. It becomes easier. Therefore, the amount of deformation per volume increases to the extent that shear deformation is more likely to occur, and accordingly, it has a high deformability. Therefore, by using the cushioning material 1C according to this modification, it is possible to obtain a lightweight cushioning material that exhibits a higher buffering function compared to the cushioning material 1A. That is, by unevenly distributing the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2 in the direction intersecting the axial direction, it is possible to enhance the buffering function.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cushioning material according to a third modification. FIG. 8(A) is a plan view of the cushioning material viewed from the direction of arrow VIIIA shown in FIG. FIG. 8(B) is a bottom view of the cushioning material viewed from the direction of arrow VIIIB shown in FIG. FIG. 8(C) is a side view of the cushioning material viewed from the direction of arrow VIIIC shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8(A) to 8(C), the cushioning material 1D according to the third modification has a first ridgeline L1 and a third ridgeline L3, compared to the above-mentioned cushioning material 1A. They are tilted in the same direction around the axis AX1. In this case, the slopes of the first ridge line L1 and the third ridge line L3 are larger than that of the cushioning material 1A described above, and the cushioning material 1D has a twisted shape as a whole.

In the case of such a cushioning material 1D, the inclinations of the first ridge line L1 and the third ridge line L3 are larger than that of the above-mentioned cushioning material 1A, so that shearing occurs when a load is applied along the axial direction. Deformation is more likely to occur. Therefore, the amount of deformation per volume increases to the extent that shear deformation is more likely to occur, and accordingly, it has a high deformability. Therefore, by using the cushioning material 1D according to this modification, it is possible to obtain a lightweight cushioning material that exhibits a higher buffering function compared to the cushioning material 1A. That is, by twisting the cushioning material 1D, it is possible to enhance the cushioning function.

Here, in the present embodiment, the case where all of the first ridge line L1 and the third ridge line L3 are tilted in the same direction around the axis AX1 has been described as an example, but all of these are not necessarily tilted. It is not necessary to tilt it, and even if only a part of it is tilted, a considerable effect can be obtained.

In addition to this, the buffering function can be enhanced by increasing the outer dimensions of the buffer material in the axial direction. In this case, the aspect ratio is such that LV/LH is 0.2 or more, where LV is the maximum external dimension of the cushioning material in the axial direction, and LH is the maximum external dimension of the cushioning material in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction. It is preferably 2.0 or less. Here, the stiffness of the cushioning material is proportional to the cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction and inversely proportional to the external dimension in the axial direction. , the cushioning material has a vertically elongated shape as a whole, and the cushioning function can be enhanced while ensuring stability.

In addition, by making the first ridgeline provided on the cushioning material curved so that it is concave toward the center of the cushioning material, and by making the second ridgeline provided on the cushioning material curved so that it protrudes toward the outside of the cushioning material, It is also possible to increase the buffering function.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the buffer structure according to the second embodiment. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 9, a buffer structure 10A according to the present embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 9, the buffer structure 10A includes a plurality of buffer materials 1A according to the first embodiment described above. More specifically, the buffer structure 10A includes a thin plate-shaped support member 11 and a plurality of buffer materials 1A arranged on the support member 11.

The support member 11 integrates the plurality of cushioning materials 1A by supporting the plurality of cushioning materials 1A. The plurality of cushioning materials 1A are joined to the support member 11 by, for example, adhesion or welding. The plurality of cushioning materials 1A are arranged regularly (staggered in the illustrated example) on the support member 11 according to, for example, a predetermined rule.

Here, the support member 11 may be made of the same material as the cushioning material 1A, or may be made of a different material. Furthermore, the support member 11 may be flexible or may not be easily deformed.

By using such a buffer structure 10A, it becomes possible to exhibit a high buffer function over a wider range. Furthermore, by integrating the plurality of cushioning materials 1A with the support member 11, it is not only possible to handle them easily, but also to prevent the cushioning materials 1A from shifting, making installation easier and achieving the desired cushioning performance. It is possible to provide a buffer structure that can reliably obtain the following.

In addition, in this embodiment, a case where a plurality of cushioning materials are arranged on a single support member has been described as an example, but it is also possible to arrange a plurality of cushioning materials between a pair of support members. It may be configured as follows. Further, an opening may be provided in a region of the support member where the cushioning material is not arranged, if necessary.

Furthermore, instead of integrating the multiple cushioning materials with a supporting member that is a separate member, the axial ends of the multiple cushioning materials are connected to each other by a connecting portion. As such, the connecting portion may be provided integrally with a plurality of cushioning materials. Such a configuration can be realized, for example, by injection molding using a mold, modeling using a three-dimensional modeling device, thermoforming (press molding) using a mold, modeling by cutting, or the like.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway side view of the buffer structure according to the third embodiment. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 10, the buffer structure 10B according to this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 10, the buffer structure 10B includes a plurality of buffer structures 10A according to the second embodiment described above. More specifically, the buffer structure 10B is formed by stacking buffer structures 10A each consisting of a thin plate-shaped support member 11 and a plurality of buffer materials 1A in multiple stages.

Here, the buffer structures 10A that come into contact with each other by being stacked may be joined by adhesion or welding, or may be simply stacked without being joined. However, if these are joined together, not only will handling become easier, but also positional displacement between the buffer structures 10A can be prevented.

As described above, the cushioning function of the cushioning material 1A itself can be enhanced by increasing its axial external dimensions. However, if the external dimension in the axial direction is made extremely large, stability and durability will be degraded.

In this regard, as in the present embodiment, by forming the buffer structure 10B in which the buffer structure 10A made of the thin plate-shaped support member 11 and the plurality of buffer materials 1A are laminated, stability and durability can be improved. , it is possible to obtain a buffer structure with a higher buffering function.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the buffer structure according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 12(A) is a plan view of the buffer structure viewed from the direction of arrow XIIA shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 12(B) is a bottom view of the buffer structure viewed from the direction of arrow XIIB shown in FIG. FIG. 12(C) is a side view of the buffer structure viewed from the direction of arrow XIIC shown in FIG. 11. Moreover, FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 14(A) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 12(C) taken along the line XIVA-XIVA. FIG. 14(B) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 12(C) taken along the line XIVB-XIVB. The buffer structure 10C according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 11, 12(A) to 12(C), FIG. 13, 14(A), and 14(B). .

As shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 12(A) to FIG. 12(C), FIG. 13, FIG. 14(A), and FIG. 14(B), the buffer structure 10C is constructed by combining a plurality of buffer materials. It includes a unitized buffer unit. In this embodiment, the buffer unit is constituted by a total of four buffer materials including two first buffer materials 1E1, 1E2 and two second buffer materials 1F1, 1F2.

Each of the first cushioning materials 1E1, 1E2 and the second cushioning materials 1F1, 1F2 has a configuration basically according to the cushioning material 1A according to the first embodiment described above, although the numbers of M and N described above are different. belongs to.

More specifically, each of the first cushioning materials 1E1 and 1E2 is a columnar member whose outer surface is defined by a first end surface ES1, a second end surface ES2, and a plurality of connection surfaces CS. The first end surface ES1 is a plane having a pentagonal outer shape when viewed along the axial direction. The second end surface ES2 is a plane having a hexagonal outer shape when viewed along the axial direction. That is, in the first buffer materials 1E1 and 1E2, N is 5 and M is 6.

A vertex P is provided at an intermediate position between the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2 of each of the first cushioning materials 1E1, 1E2, so that each of the first cushioning materials 1E1, 1E2 has a The book has a first ridgeline L1, two second ridgelines L2, and four third ridgelines L3. Further, each of the first cushioning materials 1E1 and 1E2 has a total of six connection surfaces CS defined by the one first ridgeline L1, the two second ridgelines L2, and the four third ridgelines L3. have.

Each of the second cushioning materials 1F1 and 1F2 is a columnar member whose outer surface is defined by a first end surface ES1, a second end surface ES2, and a plurality of connection surfaces CS. The first end surface ES1 is a plane having a quadrangular outer shape when viewed along the axial direction. The second end surface ES2 is a plane having a pentagonal outer shape when viewed along the axial direction. That is, in the second cushioning materials 1F1 and 1F2, N is 4 and M is 5.

A vertex P is provided at an intermediate position between the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2 of each of the second cushioning materials 1F1, 1F2, so that each of the second cushioning materials 1F1, 1F2 has a The book has a first ridgeline L1, two second ridgelines L2, and three third ridgelines L3. Further, each of the second cushioning materials 1F1 and 1F2 has a total of five connection surfaces CS defined by the one first ridgeline L1, the two second ridgelines L2, and the three third ridgelines L3. have.

The first buffer materials 1E1, 1E2 and the second buffer materials 1F1, 1F2 are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction of the buffer unit. Thereby, the first cushioning materials 1E1, 1E2 and the second cushioning materials 1F1, 1F2 are arranged side by side so as to surround the axis AX2 of the cushioning unit in the combined state.

Here, the orientation of each of the first cushioning materials 1E1 and 1E2 along the axial direction is opposite to the orientation of each of the second cushioning materials 1F1 and 1F2 along the axial direction. That is, the first end surface ES1 of each of the first cushioning materials 1E1, 1E2 and the second end surface ES2 of each of the second cushioning materials 1F1, 1F2 are located on the same plane. The second end surface ES2 of each of the second cushioning materials 1E2 and the first end surface ES1 of each of the second cushioning materials 1F1 and 1F2 are located on the same plane.

In addition, among the plurality of connection surfaces CS of the first cushioning materials 1E1, 1E2 and the second cushioning materials 1F1, 1F2, the connection surfaces defined by the first ridgeline L1 and the second ridgeline L2 have a gap G between them. They are arranged adjacent to each other so as to face each other through the middle. Thereby, the vertices P of each of the first cushioning materials 1E1, 1E2 and the second cushioning materials 1F1, 1F2 also face each other.

In this embodiment, the outer shapes of each of the first cushioning materials 1E1, 1E2 and the second cushioning materials 1F1, 1F2 are configured to fit into each other while forming the above-mentioned gap G, and further, is configured such that the size of the above-mentioned gap G formed between the first cushioning materials 1E1, 1E2 and the second cushioning materials 1F1, 1F2 is approximately constant at any position.

With this configuration, when the first buffer materials 1E1, 1E2 and the second buffer materials 1F1, 1F2 are combined with each other, the buffer unit (i.e., the buffer structure 10C) has an outer shape as a whole. , it has a substantially hexagonal column shape.

The buffer structure 10C according to the present embodiment exhibits a high buffering function in the axial direction in which the axis AX2 of the buffer unit extends, and also has a plurality of cushioning materials densely packed in the direction perpendicular to the axis AX2. can be placed. These are all due to the structural features (shape features) of the buffer structure 10C.

That is, when each of the first cushioning materials 1E1, 1E2 and the second cushioning materials 1F1, 1F2, which are the plurality of cushioning materials, receives a load along the axial direction, as explained in the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, It has a shape in which shear deformation is more likely to occur, and the amount of deformation per volume increases accordingly, making it possible to provide a lightweight cushioning structure that exhibits a high cushioning function.

On the other hand, each of the first cushioning materials 1E1, 1E2 and the second cushioning materials 1F1, 1F2 are arranged close to each other by setting the above-mentioned gap G to be sufficiently small. This makes it possible to pack the battery in a high density, thereby making it possible to reduce the occupied volume, which contributes to miniaturization. Note that the size of the gap G is not particularly limited, but when the buffer unit is applied to shoe soles and shoes equipped with the same as shown in Embodiments 14 to 17 to be described later, , preferably about 2 mm.

Therefore, the buffer structure 10C according to the present embodiment is a lightweight buffer structure that exhibits a higher buffering function than the buffer structures 10A and 10B according to the second and third embodiments described above. It becomes possible to configure it into a smaller size.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a buffer structure according to Embodiment 5. FIG. 16(A) is a plan view of the buffer structure viewed from the direction of arrow XVIA shown in FIG. 15. FIG. FIG. 16(B) is a bottom view of the buffer structure viewed from the direction of arrow XVIB shown in FIG. 15. FIG. 16(C) is a side view of the buffer structure seen from the direction of arrow XVIC shown in FIG. 15. Moreover, FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 15. FIG. 18(A) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 16(C) taken along the line XVIIIA-XVIIIA. FIG. 18(B) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 16(C) taken along the line XVIIIB-XVIIIB. The buffer structure 10D according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 15, 16(A) to 16(C), FIG. 17, 18(A), and 18(B). .

As shown in FIG. 15, FIG. 16(A) to FIG. 16(C), FIG. 17, FIG. 18(A), and FIG. 18(B), the buffer structure 10D is the buffer structure according to the fourth embodiment described above. In comparison to the body 10C, the first ridge line L1 and the third ridge line L3 of each of the plurality of first cushioning materials 1G1, 1G2 and each of the plurality of second cushioning materials 1H1, 1H2 are arranged around the axis AX2 of the cushioning unit. are tilted in the same direction. In this case, compared to the buffer structure 10C according to the fourth embodiment described above, the slopes of the first ridge line L1 and the third ridge line L3 are larger, and the buffer unit (i.e., the buffer structure 10D) as a whole is twisted. It will have a similar shape.

In the case of such a buffer structure 10D, the axis of the buffer unit is Shear deformation is more likely to occur when a load is applied along a direction. Therefore, the amount of deformation per volume increases to the extent that shear deformation is more likely to occur, and accordingly, it has a high deformability. Therefore, by using the buffer structure 10D according to this modification, it is possible to obtain a lightweight cushioning material that exhibits a higher buffering function than the buffer structure 10C according to the fourth embodiment described above. That is, by adding twist to the buffer unit (that is, the buffer structure 10D), it is possible to enhance the buffer function.

In addition, in this embodiment, the case where all of the first ridge line L1 and the third ridge line L3 are tilted in the same direction around the axis line AX1 has been described as an example, but it is not necessary to tilt all of them. There is no need to tilt it, and even if only a part of it is tilted, a considerable effect can be obtained.

(Embodiment 6)
FIG. 19 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the buffer structure according to the sixth embodiment. The buffer structure 10E according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 19.

As shown in FIG. 19, the buffer structure 10E includes a plurality of sets of buffer structures 10C as buffer units according to the fourth embodiment described above. More specifically, the buffer structure 10E includes a thin plate-like support member 11 and a plurality of buffer structures 10C as buffer units arranged on the support member 11.

The support member 11 supports the buffer structure 10C as a plurality of buffer units, thereby integrating the plurality of buffer material units. A plurality of cushioning materials included in each of the plurality of cushioning units are joined to the support member 11 by, for example, adhesion or welding. The plurality of sets of buffer units are arranged regularly (staggered in the illustrated example) on the support member 11 according to, for example, a predetermined rule.

Here, the support member 11 may be made of the same material as the cushioning material, or may be made of a different material. Furthermore, the support member 11 may be flexible or may not be easily deformed.

With such a buffer structure 10E, it is possible to exhibit a high buffer function over a wider range. Furthermore, by integrating multiple sets of shock absorbing units using the support member 11, not only is it easier to handle them, but also the positional shift of the shock absorbing units can be prevented, making installation easier and ensuring the desired shock absorbing performance. It can be a buffer structure that can be obtained.

In addition, in this embodiment, a case where a plurality of sets of buffer units are arranged on a single support member has been described as an example, but it is also possible to arrange a plurality of sets of buffer units between a pair of support members. It may be configured as follows. Further, an opening may be provided in a region of the support member where the buffer unit is not arranged, as necessary.

Furthermore, instead of integrating the plurality of cushioning materials included in each of the plurality of sets of shock absorbing units with a supporting member made of a separate member, the plurality of shock absorbing materials included in each of the plurality of sets of shock absorbing units The connecting portion may be provided integrally with the plurality of cushioning materials so that the ends of the materials in the axial direction are connected to each other by the connecting portion. Such a configuration can be realized, for example, by injection molding using a mold, modeling using a three-dimensional modeling device, thermoforming (press molding) using a mold, modeling by cutting, or the like.

(Embodiment 7)
FIG. 20 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the buffer structure according to the seventh embodiment. The buffer structure 10F according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 20.

As shown in FIG. 20, when compared with the buffer structure 10E according to the sixth embodiment described above, the buffer structure 10F has a different arrangement of the buffer structures 10C as buffer units disposed on the support member 11. They are different. More specifically, in the buffer structure 10F, the individual buffer units are arranged close to each other so that the buffer structure 10C as a buffer unit is densely packed, so that it has a honeycomb structure. It is configured.

Here, the gap between the buffer structures 10C as adjacent buffer units can be approximately the same as the above-mentioned gap G that each buffer unit has. Therefore, by arranging the buffer units in this manner, it is possible to arrange the buffer units at an extremely high filling rate, and the occupied volume can be reduced, contributing to miniaturization.

Therefore, by using the buffer structure 10F according to the present embodiment, a lightweight buffer structure that exhibits a high buffer function can be made smaller than the case where the buffer structure 10C according to the sixth embodiment described above is used. It becomes possible to configure.

(Embodiment 8)
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a buffer structure according to Embodiment 8. FIG. 22(A) is a plan view of the buffer structure viewed from the direction of arrow XXIIA shown in FIG. 21. FIG. 22(B) is a bottom view of the buffer structure viewed from the direction of arrow XXIIB shown in FIG. FIG. 22(C) is a side view of the buffer structure viewed from the direction of arrow XXIIC shown in FIG. 21. Moreover, FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 21. FIG. 24(A) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 22(C) taken along line XXIVA-XXIVA. FIG. 24(B) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the buffer structure shown in FIG. 22(C) taken along line XXIVB-XXIVB. The buffer structure 10G according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 21, 22(A) to 22(C), 23, 24(A), and 24(B). .

As shown in FIG. 21, FIG. 22(A) to FIG. 22(C), FIG. 23, FIG. 24(A), and FIG. 24(B), the buffer structure 10G is constructed by combining a plurality of buffer materials. It includes a unitized buffer unit. In this embodiment, a buffer unit is constituted by three buffer materials 1I1 to 1I3.

Each of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 basically has a configuration similar to the cushioning material 1A according to the first embodiment described above, although the numbers of M and N described above are different.

More specifically, each of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 is composed of a columnar member whose outer surface is defined by a first end surface ES1, a second end surface ES2, and a plurality of connection surfaces CS. The first end surface ES1 is a plane having a quadrangular outer shape when viewed along the axial direction. The second end surface ES2 is a plane having a pentagonal outer shape when viewed along the axial direction. That is, in the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3, N is 4 and M is 5.

A vertex P is provided at an intermediate position between the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2 of each of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3, so that each of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 It has a ridge line L1, two second ridge lines L2, and three third ridge lines L3. Each of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 has a total of five connection surfaces CS defined by the one first ridgeline L1, the two second ridgelines L2, and the three third ridgelines L3. ing.

The buffer materials 1I1 to 1I3 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the buffer unit. As a result, the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 are arranged in a line so as to surround the axis AX2 of the cushioning unit in the combined state.

Here, each of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 is oriented in the same direction along the axial direction. That is, the first end surfaces ES1 of each of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 are located on the same plane, and the second end surfaces ES2 of each of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 are located on the same plane.

In addition, the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 are arranged adjacent to each other such that among the plurality of connection surfaces CS that they have, the connection surfaces defined only by the third ridge line L3 face each other with a gap G interposed therebetween. There is. As a result, the apex P of each of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 is located along the circumferential surface of the cushioning unit.

In this embodiment, the outer shapes of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 are configured to face each other with the above-mentioned gap G formed, and furthermore, the outer shapes of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 are formed between the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3. The size of the above-mentioned gap G is substantially constant at any position.

With this configuration, when the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 are combined with each other, the cushioning unit (that is, the cushioning structure 10G) as a whole has a pair of surfaces located in the axial direction of the cushioning unit. Each has a substantially columnar outer shape that is approximately hexagonal.

The shock absorbing structure 10G according to the present embodiment exhibits a high shock absorbing function in the axial direction in which the axis AX2 of the shock absorbing unit extends, and in a state in which a plurality of shock absorbing materials are densely packed in the direction orthogonal to the axis AX2. can be placed. These are all due to the structural features (shape features) of the buffer structure 10G.

That is, each of the plurality of cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 has a shape in which shearing deformation is more likely to occur when a load is applied along the axial direction, as described in the first embodiment above. , the amount of deformation per volume increases accordingly, making it possible to provide a lightweight cushioning structure that exhibits a high cushioning function.

On the other hand, since each of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 is arranged close to each other by setting the above-mentioned gap G to be sufficiently small, dense packing as described above is possible, and the occupied It becomes possible to reduce the volume, which contributes to miniaturization. Note that the size of the gap G is not particularly limited, but when the buffer unit is applied to shoe soles and shoes equipped with the same as shown in Embodiments 18 and 19 described later, , preferably about 2 mm.

Therefore, the buffer structure 10G according to the present embodiment is a lightweight buffer structure that exhibits a higher buffering function than the buffer structures 10A and 10B according to the second and third embodiments described above. It becomes possible to configure it into a smaller size.

In the buffer structure 10G according to the present embodiment, the connection surfaces CS of the plurality of buffer materials 1I1 to 1I3 to be combined, which are arranged to face each other, are all configured in a single planar shape. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent undercuts from occurring when manufacturing the buffer structure by molding using a metal mold. Therefore, compared to the buffer structure 10C according to the above-described fourth embodiment in which these connecting surfaces are configured by a plurality of planes and curved surfaces, it is easier to manufacture when molding is performed using a mold. It will also be possible.

(4th to 6th variations)
In the following, buffer structures according to fourth to sixth modifications based on the eighth embodiment described above will be described. 25 to 27 are perspective views of buffer structures according to the fourth to sixth modified examples, respectively. It should be noted that each of the buffer structures 10G1 to 10G3 according to the fourth to sixth modifications further includes a support member that interconnects the three buffer materials 1I1 to 1I3 described above.

As shown in FIG. 25, the buffer structure 10G1 according to the fourth modification includes, in addition to the three buffer materials 1I1 to 1I3 constituting the buffer unit, the first buffer member of each of the three buffer materials 1I1 to 1I3. A support member 11 in the form of a thin plate and hexagonal in plan view is provided spanning the end surfaces ES1 and covering the first end surfaces ES1. On the other hand, the second end surfaces ES2 of each of the three cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 are exposed.

As shown in FIG. 27, in the buffer structure 10G3 according to the sixth modification, in addition to the three buffer materials 1I1 to 1I3 constituting the buffer unit, the first A support member 11a in the form of a thin plate, which is hexagonal in plan view and covers the first end surface ES1, straddles the end surface ES1, and a support member 11a in the form of a thin plate that straddles the second end surface ES2 of each of the three cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3. The support member 11b has a hexagonal thin plate shape in plan view and covers the second end surface ES2.

By using any one of such buffer structures 10G1 to 10G3, the three buffer materials 1I1 to 1I3 are integrated by the support member 11 or the support members 11a and 11b, which not only makes handling easier. , displacement of the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 can also be prevented. Therefore, by employing this configuration, it is possible to provide a buffer structure that is easy to install and can reliably obtain desired buffer performance.

In addition, instead of integrating the plurality of cushioning materials with a supporting member that is a separate member, the axial ends of the plurality of cushioning materials are connected to each other by a connecting portion. Alternatively, the connecting portion may be provided integrally with a plurality of cushioning materials. Such a configuration can be realized, for example, by injection molding using a mold, modeling using a three-dimensional modeling device, thermoforming (press molding) using a mold, modeling by cutting, or the like.

(Embodiments 9 to 11)
In the following, structural features that are particularly effective factors in improving the buffering performance will be explained when specifically designing the buffer structure according to the eighth embodiment and its modifications.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a buffer structure according to Embodiment 9. The buffer structure 10H according to the present embodiment is composed of only three buffer materials 1J1 to 1J3, and is structurally (shape-wise) modified from the buffer structure 10G according to the eighth embodiment described above. It was added.

As shown in FIG. 28, the buffer structure 10H according to the present embodiment has a smaller total area of the first end surface ES1 than the buffer structure 10G according to the eighth embodiment described above. Specifically, the individual buffer materials 1J1 to 1J3 included in the buffer structure 10H can be used without changing the position of the apex P compared to the individual buffer materials 1I1 to 1I3 included in the buffer structure 10G described above. The area of the first end surface ES1 is made smaller in a similar shape. In this case, compared to the above-described buffer structure 10G, the slope of the third ridge line L3 located on the circumferential surface of the buffer structure 10H among the individual buffer materials 1J1 to 1J3 included in the buffer structure 10H The slope of the first ridge line L1 increases, and the buffer structure 10H as a whole has a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area decreases toward the first end surface ES1 side.

In the case of such a buffer structure 10H, the inclination of the first ridge line L1 and the third ridge line L3 becomes larger than that of the above-mentioned buffer structure 10G, so that when a load is applied along the axial direction, Shear deformation is more likely to occur. Therefore, the amount of deformation per volume increases to the extent that shear deformation is more likely to occur, and accordingly, it has a high deformability. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to obtain a lightweight cushioning material that exhibits a higher cushioning function than the cushioning structure 10G. That is, by increasing the difference in area between the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2, it becomes possible to improve the buffering function.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a buffer structure according to Embodiment 10. The buffer structure 10I according to the present embodiment is composed of only three buffer materials 1K1 to 1K3, and is structurally (shape-wise) modified from the buffer structure 10G according to the eighth embodiment described above. It was added.

As shown in FIG. 29, the buffer structure 10I according to the present embodiment has a smaller total area of the first end surface ES1 than the buffer structure 10G according to the eighth embodiment described above. Specifically, the individual cushioning materials 1K1 to 1K3 included in the cushioning structure 10I are smaller at the apex P and the first ridge line L1 than the individual cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 included in the above-mentioned buffer structure 10G. The area of the first end surface ES1 is reduced without changing the position. In this case, compared to the above-mentioned buffer structure 10G, the slope of the third ridge line L3 located on the circumferential surface of the buffer structure 10I among the individual buffer materials 1K1 to 1K3 included in the buffer structure 10I is larger. Therefore, the buffer structure 10I as a whole has a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area becomes smaller toward the first end surface ES1 side.

In the case of such a buffer structure 10I, the inclination of the first ridge line L1 and the third ridge line L3 becomes larger than that of the above-mentioned buffer structure 10G, so that when a load is applied along the axial direction. Shear deformation is more likely to occur. Therefore, the amount of deformation per volume increases to the extent that shear deformation is more likely to occur, and accordingly, it has a high deformability. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to obtain a lightweight cushioning material that exhibits a higher cushioning function than the cushioning structure 10G. That is, by increasing the difference in area between the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2, it becomes possible to improve the buffering function.

In addition, in this embodiment, a case is illustrated in which the outer shape of the surface including the first end surface ES1 of a pair of surfaces located in the axial direction of the buffer structure 10I is approximately triangular. , the inclination of the third ridge line L3 located on the circumferential surface of the buffer structure 10I among the individual buffer materials 1K1 to 1K3 included in the buffer structure 10I is further increased, so that the outer shape of the above surface becomes the same as that of each side. It may have a substantially triangular shape with the center portion concave inward.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the buffer structure according to the eleventh embodiment. The buffer structure 10J according to the present embodiment includes three buffer materials 1L1 to 1L3 and a pair of support members 11a and 11b positioned to sandwich the three buffer materials 1L1 to 1L3, and is similar to the sixth modification example described above. This buffer structure 10G3 is modified structurally (shapewise).

As shown in FIG. 30, the buffer structure 10J according to the present embodiment has a gap G larger in width than the buffer structure 10G according to the eighth embodiment described above. Specifically, the individual cushioning materials 1L1 to 1L3 included in the cushioning structure 10J are smaller in size at the apex P and the first ridge line L1 than the individual cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 included in the above-mentioned buffer structure 10G. The width of the connection surface adjacent to the third ridge line L3 among the plurality of connection surfaces CS is reduced without changing the position. In this case, compared to the above-described buffer structure 10G, the cross-sectional area of each of the buffer materials 1L1 to 1L3 included in the buffer structure 10J perpendicular to the axis AX2 of the buffer structure 10J is generally smaller.

In the case of such a buffer structure 10J, the cross-sectional area of each of the buffer materials 1L1 to 1L3 is smaller than that of the buffer structure 10G described above, so that when a load is applied along the axial direction, Shear deformation is more likely to occur. Therefore, the amount of deformation per volume increases to the extent that shear deformation is more likely to occur, and accordingly, it has a high deformability. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to obtain a lightweight cushioning material that exhibits a higher cushioning function than the cushioning structure 10G. That is, by reducing the cross-sectional area of each cushioning material, it is possible to improve the cushioning function.

In addition, in addition to this, the first ridgeline of each of the plurality of cushioning materials included in the buffering structure may be tilted around the axis of the buffering structure, or the third ridgeline of each of the plurality of cushioning materials may be tilted. Among them, those located on the circumferential surface of the buffer structure are tilted around the axis of the buffer structure, the plurality of cushioning materials are tilted in one direction as a whole, or the plurality of cushioning materials are tilted in one direction. The external dimensions in the axial direction may be increased, or the first ridge lines of the plurality of cushioning materials may be curved toward the center of the cushioning materials, or the second ridgelines of the plurality of cushioning materials may be curved toward the center of the cushioning materials. The cushioning function can also be enhanced by creating a curved shape that protrudes toward the outside of the material.

Here, the first ridgeline of each of the plurality of buffering materials included in the buffering structure, and the third ridgeline of each of the plurality of buffering materials located on the peripheral surface of the buffering structure. When things are to be tilted around the axis of the buffer structure, all of them may be tilted, or only some of them may be tilted. In addition, when tilting a plurality of these, if they are tilted in the same direction around the axis of the shock absorbing unit, a higher shock absorbing function will be exhibited.

(Embodiment 12)
FIG. 31 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the buffer structure according to the twelfth embodiment. The buffer structure 10K according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 31.

As shown in FIG. 31, the buffer structure 10K includes a plurality of buffer structures 10G as buffer units according to the eighth embodiment described above. More specifically, the buffer structure 10K includes a thin plate-shaped support member 11 and a plurality of buffer structures 10G as a buffer unit arranged on the support member 11.

The support member 11 integrates the plurality of cushioning material units by supporting the buffering structure 10G as a plurality of cushioning units. A plurality of cushioning materials included in each of the plurality of cushioning units are joined to the support member 11 by, for example, adhesion or welding. The plurality of sets of buffer units are arranged regularly (staggered in the illustrated example) on the support member 11 according to, for example, a predetermined rule.

Here, the support member 11 may be made of the same material as the cushioning material, or may be made of a different material. Furthermore, the support member 11 may be flexible or may not be easily deformed.

With such a buffer structure 10K, it becomes possible to exhibit a high buffer function over a wider range. Furthermore, by integrating multiple sets of shock absorbing units using the support member 11, not only is it easier to handle them, but also the positional shift of the shock absorbing units can be prevented, making installation easier and ensuring the desired shock absorbing performance. It can be a buffer structure that can be obtained.

In addition, in this embodiment, a case where a plurality of sets of buffer units are arranged on a single support member has been described as an example, but it is also possible to arrange a plurality of sets of buffer units between a pair of support members. It may be configured as follows. Further, an opening may be provided in a region of the support member where the buffer unit is not arranged, as necessary.

Furthermore, instead of integrating the plurality of cushioning materials included in each of the plurality of sets of shock absorbing units with a supporting member made of a separate member, the plurality of shock absorbing materials included in each of the plurality of sets of shock absorbing units The connecting portion may be provided integrally with the plurality of cushioning materials so that the ends of the materials in the axial direction are connected to each other by the connecting portion. Such a configuration can be realized, for example, by injection molding using a mold, modeling using a three-dimensional modeling device, thermoforming (press molding) using a mold, modeling by cutting, or the like.

(Embodiment 13)
FIG. 32 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the buffer structure according to the thirteenth embodiment. The buffer structure 10L according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 32.

As shown in FIG. 32, when compared with the buffer structure 10K according to the twelfth embodiment described above, the buffer structure 10L has a different arrangement of the buffer structures 10G as buffer units arranged on the support member 11. They are different. More specifically, in the buffer structure 10L, the individual buffer units are arranged close to each other so that the buffer structure 10G as a buffer unit is densely packed, so that the support member 11 side thereof is It is configured to have a honeycomb structure on its surface.

By arranging the buffer units in this manner, it is possible to arrange the buffer units at an extremely high filling rate, and the occupied volume can be reduced, contributing to miniaturization.

Therefore, by using the buffer structure 10L according to the present embodiment, a lightweight buffer structure that exhibits a high buffer function can be made smaller than the buffer structure 10K according to the twelfth embodiment described above. It becomes possible to configure.

(Embodiment 14)
FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a shoe sole and a shoe including the same according to the fourteenth embodiment. FIG. 34 is a plan view of the sole shown in FIG. 33. Hereinafter, a shoe sole 110A according to the present embodiment and a shoe 100A including the same will be described with reference to FIGS. 33 and 34. Note that the sole 110A according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of sets of the buffer structures 10D according to the fifth embodiment described above.

As shown in FIG. 33, the shoe 100A includes a sole 110A and an upper 120. The sole 110A is a member that covers the sole of the foot, and has a substantially flat shape. The upper 120 has a bag-like shape that completely envelops the inserted foot, and is located above the sole 110A.

The upper 120 includes an upper main body 121, a shoe tongue 122, and a shoelace 123. The upper body 121 has a bag-like shape as described above, and the tongue 122 and the shoelaces 123 are both fixed or attached to the upper body 121.

A bottom part fixed to the sole 110A is located at the lower part of the upper body 121, and an opening is provided at the upper part of the upper body 121 to expose the upper part of the ankle and part of the instep of the foot. There is. The tongue 122 is fixed to the upper body 121 by sewing, welding, adhesion, or a combination thereof so as to cover a portion of the opening provided in the upper body 121 that exposes a portion of the instep of the foot. For the upper body 121 and the tongue 122, for example, woven fabric, knitted fabric, synthetic leather, resin, etc. are used, and in shoes where breathability and lightness are particularly required, a double raschel warp knitted fabric woven with polyester yarn is used. Ru.

The shoelace 123 is made of a string-like member for drawing together the periphery of an opening provided in the upper body 121 that exposes a part of the instep of the foot in the foot width direction, and is provided around the periphery of the opening. It is inserted through multiple holes. By tightening the shoelaces 123 while the foot is inserted into the upper body 121, it becomes possible to bring the upper body 121 into close contact with the foot.

As shown in FIGS. 33 and 34, the sole 110A includes a lower support member 111, an upper support member 112, and multiple sets of buffer structures 10D. The lower support member 111 defines the lower surface of the sole 110A, and the lower surface of the lower support member 111 constitutes a ground plane. The upper support member 112 defines the upper surface of the sole 110A, and the upper surface of the upper support member 112 is joined to the outer bottom surface of the bottom of the upper main body 121. The plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are sandwiched between the lower support member 111 and the upper support member 112, and are thereby embedded inside the sole 110A. Note that the thickness of the lower support member 111 and the thickness of the upper support member 112 can be changed as appropriate, and both may be approximately the same, or one may be thicker than the other.

As shown in FIG. 34, the sole 110A is a forefoot that supports the toes and the stepping portion of the foot along the longitudinal direction (approximately the vertical direction in the figure), which is the long axis direction when viewed from above. The midfoot part R1 supports the non-stepping part of the foot, and the midfoot part R2 supports the heel part of the foot. In addition, the sole 110A extends along the foot width direction, which is a direction intersecting the long axis direction when viewed from above, on the medial side (that is, the side close to the midline) of the foot in the anatomical normal position. The part on the foot side (the part on the S1 side shown in the figure), and the part on the lateral foot side (in the figure It is divided into two parts (the S2 side part shown).

The plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are arranged along the peripheral edge of the sole 110A. More specifically, the plurality of sets of cushioning structures 10D include a front edge of the forefoot R1, an edge of the medial foot of the forefoot R1, an edge of the medial foot of the midfoot R2, and a hindfoot edge. The inner foot side edge of R3, the rear edge of hindfoot R3, the lateral edge of hindfoot R3, the lateral edge of midfoot R2, and the edge of forefoot R1. They are densely packed adjacent to each other along the edge of the outer foot. Note that the portion where the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are arranged includes a portion that supports the big toe, a portion that supports the little toe, and a portion that supports the calcaneus of the foot.

Here, each of the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D is arranged such that its axis AX2 (see FIG. 15, etc.) is perpendicular to the ground plane of the sole 110A. With this configuration, when landing, the load applied to the sole 110A from the sole and the ground causes the plurality of cushioning structures 10D to deform with a large amount of deformation (as described above, the load is applied to the sole 110A from the sole of the foot and the ground). The load applied from the sole 110A to the sole of the foot is reduced, and a high cushioning function is exhibited.

Therefore, by using the sole 110A according to the present embodiment and the shoe 100A equipped with the same, the sole is configured to exhibit a high cushioning function not only in terms of materials but also in terms of structure. and shoes equipped with this.

Note that the lower support member 111 and the upper support member 112 are fixed by adhesion, welding, etc., and the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D have a first end surface ES1 and a second end surface ES2 (see FIG. 12, etc.). are fixed to the lower support member 111 and the upper support member 112, respectively, by adhesion, welding, or the like.

The material of the lower support member 111 and the upper support member 112 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a resin or rubber foam material, and particularly preferably ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer ( EVA), thermoplastic resins such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic polyamide elastomer (TPAE), and foam materials such as butadiene rubber. Note that the material of the lower support member 111 and the material of the upper support member 112 may be the same or different.

Further, the material of the plurality of cushioning materials included in each of the plurality of sets of cushioning structures 10D is not particularly limited as described in the first embodiment, but for example, resin or rubber. It can be a foam material or a non-foam material, and particularly preferably thermoplastic resins such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic polyamide elastomer (TPAE), and butadiene. It can be a non-foam material such as rubber, or a polymer composition such as an olefin polymer, an amide polymer, an ester polymer, a urethane polymer, a styrene polymer, or an acrylic polymer.

(Embodiment 15)
FIG. 35 is a plan view of the sole of the shoe according to the fifteenth embodiment. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 35, a shoe sole 110B according to the present embodiment and a shoe 100B including the same will be described. Note that the shoe 100B according to the present embodiment includes a sole 110B described below in place of the sole 110A included in the shoe 100A according to the fourteenth embodiment described above. The shoe sole 110B according to the above-mentioned embodiment 110B includes a plurality of sets of the buffer structures 10D according to the above-mentioned embodiment 5, similarly to the shoe sole 110A according to the above-described embodiment 14.

As shown in FIG. 35, the sole 110B includes a lower support member 111, an upper support member 112, and multiple sets of buffer structures 10D. The plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are sandwiched between a lower support member 111 and an upper support member 112, and are thereby embedded inside the sole 110B.

The plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are arranged only at positions on the rear side of the sole 110B in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are densely packed so as to be adjacent to each other in the rear portion of the midfoot portion R2 and the entire area of the rear foot portion R3. Note that the portion where the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are arranged includes a portion that supports the calcaneus of the foot.

Here, the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D include a plurality of types having different sizes. Thereby, a predetermined distribution is provided in the cushioning function in each part of the sole 110B.

In the case of the shoe sole 110B according to the present embodiment described above and the shoe 100B equipped with the same, as in the case of the fourteenth embodiment described above, not only the material aspect but also the structural aspect It is also possible to provide a shoe sole configured to exhibit a high cushioning function and shoes equipped with the same.

(Embodiment 16)
FIG. 36 is a perspective view of the sole of the shoe according to Embodiment 16, viewed from the top side. FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the shoe sole shown in FIG. 36 viewed from the ground contact side. Hereinafter, a shoe sole 110C according to the present embodiment and a shoe 100C including the same will be described with reference to FIGS. 36 and 37. Note that the shoe 100C according to the present embodiment includes a sole 110C described below in place of the sole 110A included in the shoe 100A according to the fourteenth embodiment described above. A shoe sole 110C according to the above-mentioned shoe sole 110C according to the above-mentioned embodiment 14 includes a plurality of sets of the buffer structures 10D according to the above-mentioned embodiment 5.

As shown in FIGS. 36 and 37, the sole 110C includes a base 113, multiple sets of buffer structures 10D, and a lower support member 114 provided in each of the multiple sets of buffer structures 10D. ing. The base 113 defines the upper surface of the sole 110C, and the upper surface of the base 113 is joined to the outer bottom surface of the bottom of the upper main body 121. The plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are arranged on the lower surface of the base 113 at a distance from each other.

The plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are arranged over the entire lower surface of the base 113 of the sole 110C. That is, a plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are located in each of the forefoot, midfoot, and rearfoot portions of the sole 110C. Further, a portion of the plurality of buffer structures 10D located at the periphery of the sole 110C is located so as to reach not only the lower surface of the base 113 but also the circumferential surface of the base 113. Furthermore, the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D include a plurality of types having different sizes.

As described above, the lower support member 114 is provided on the lower surface of the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D. The lower support member 114 is made of a thin plate-like member, and supports the plurality of cushioning materials included in each of the plurality of cushioning structures 10D, and defines a ground plane.

Note that, instead of the buffer structure 10D, a protrusion 113a is provided at the center of the forefoot portion of the sole 110C. The protrusion 113a is formed by protruding a part of the base 113, and defines a ground plane together with the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D. The protruding portion 113a is a portion having superior compression rigidity than the buffer structure 10D, and is intended to enhance stability upon landing. Note that the protrusion 113a does not necessarily need to be provided, and if it is not provided, the protrusion 113a may be configured as a space (i.e., the space between the base 113 and the ground upon landing). ), or a buffer structure 10D may be provided in this area.

Here, each of the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D is arranged so that its axis AX1 (see FIG. 15, etc.) is orthogonal to the ground plane of the sole 110C. With this configuration, when landing, the load applied to the sole 110C from the sole and the ground causes the plurality of cushioning structures 10D to deform with a large amount of deformation (as described above, the load is applied to the sole 110C from the sole of the foot and the ground). ), the load applied from the sole 110C to the sole of the foot is reduced, and a high cushioning function is exhibited.

Therefore, by using the sole 110C according to the present embodiment and the shoe 100C equipped with the same, the sole is configured to exhibit a high cushioning function not only in terms of materials but also in terms of structure. and shoes equipped with this.

Note that the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D have their first end surfaces ES1 and second end surfaces ES2 (see FIGS. 16(A) to 16(C), etc.) adhered to the base 113 and the lower support member 114, respectively. Or it is fixed by welding etc.

The material of the base 113 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a resin or rubber foam material, and particularly preferably a thermoplastic resin such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), It can be a thermosetting resin such as polyurethane (PU) or a foam material such as butadiene rubber. Note that the base 113 according to this embodiment is generally referred to as a midsole.

On the other hand, the material of the lower support member 114 may be, for example, rubber. Note that the lower support member 114 according to this embodiment is generally referred to as an outsole.

Further, the materials of the plurality of cushioning materials included in each of the plurality of sets of cushioning structures 10D can be the same as those in the fourteenth embodiment described above.

(Embodiment 17)
FIG. 38 is a perspective view of the sole of the shoe according to Embodiment 17, viewed from the ground contact side. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 38, a shoe sole 110D according to the present embodiment and a shoe 100D including the same will be described. Note that the shoe 100D according to the present embodiment includes a sole 110D described below in place of the sole 110A included in the shoe 100A according to the fourteenth embodiment described above. The shoe sole 110D according to the above-mentioned embodiment 110D includes a plurality of sets of the buffer structures 10D according to the above-mentioned embodiment 5, similarly to the shoe sole 110A according to the above-described embodiment 14.

As shown in FIG. 38, the sole 110D includes a base 113 and multiple sets of buffer structures 10D. The plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are arranged on the lower surface of the base 113 at a distance from each other.

The plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are arranged only at positions on the rear side of the sole 110D in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are densely packed so as to be adjacent to each other in the rear part of the midfoot and the entire area of the rear foot. Note that the portion where the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D are arranged includes a portion that supports the calcaneus of the foot.

Here, some of the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D located at the periphery of the sole 110D are located so as to reach not only the lower surface of the base 113 but also the circumferential surface of the base 113. Furthermore, the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D include a plurality of types having different sizes. Note that the sole 110D according to the present embodiment does not include the lower support member 114 (see FIGS. 36 and 37) that the sole 110C according to the sixteenth embodiment described above had. The lower surfaces of the plurality of sets of buffer structures 10D directly define the ground plane.

In the case of the shoe sole 110D according to the present embodiment described above and the shoe 100D equipped with the same, as in the case of the sixteenth embodiment described above, not only the material aspect but also the structural aspect It is also possible to provide a shoe sole configured to exhibit a high cushioning function and shoes equipped with the same.

(Embodiment 18)
FIG. 39 is a perspective view of the sole of the shoe according to Embodiment 18, viewed from the ground contact side. FIG. 40 is a plan view of the sole shown in FIG. 39. FIG. 41 is a side view of the sole shown in FIG. 39 viewed from the outer foot side. 42 is a schematic bottom view of the shoe sole shown in FIG. 39 with the lower support member removed. Hereinafter, a shoe sole 110E according to the present embodiment and a shoe 100E including the same will be described with reference to FIGS. 39 to 42. Note that the shoe 100E according to the present embodiment includes a sole 110E described below in place of the sole 110A included in the shoe 100A according to the fourteenth embodiment described above.

As shown in FIGS. 39 to 42, the sole 110E includes a base 113, an inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, an outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, an inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and an outer foot cushioning structure 10M1. It has a front buffer structure 10N2 and a lower support member 116. The base 113 is a so-called midsole and defines the upper surface of the sole 110A. The upper surface of the base portion 113 is joined to the upper main body 121 (see FIG. 33) by, for example, adhesive. The lower support member 111 is a so-called outsole, and defines the lower surface of the sole 110E. The lower surface of the lower support member 116 constitutes a ground plane. The inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and the outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2 are sandwiched between the base 113 and the lower support member 116.

Here, for ease of understanding, in FIGS. 39 to 42, these medial foot rear cushioning structures 10M1, lateral foot rear cushioning structures 10M2, medial foot front cushioning structures 10N1, and lateral foot front cushioning structures are shown in FIGS. By coloring each of the structures 10N2 in a dark color, the boundaries with other members are indicated, thereby clarifying the arrangement position thereof.

The medial foot rear cushioning structure 10M1 includes two cushioning structures and an upper support member 115 that supports these two cushioning structures. Each of the two buffer structures has a configuration similar to that of the buffer structure 10G according to the eighth embodiment described above, and three buffer materials 1M are arranged close to each other with a gap G between the buffer units. Become.

Each of the three cushioning materials 1M has a first end surface ES1 of a substantially square shape and a second end surface ES2 of a substantially pentagonal shape. That is, in each of these three buffer materials 1M, N is 4 and M is 5. The upper support member 115 has a thin plate shape that connects the upper end portions of these three cushioning materials 1M and further connects the two buffer structures described above. As a result, the medial foot rear cushioning structure 10M1 is constituted by a single member including the above-mentioned two cushioning structures and the upper support member 115.

Here, each of the total of six cushioning materials 1M included in the two cushioning structures has a shape with rounded vertices and ridgelines. Similar to the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 included in the cushioning structure 10G, it has an apex P (see FIG. 23) at an intermediate position between the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2. It has one ridgeline L1, two second ridgelines L2, and three third ridgelines L3.

The buffer structure according to the eighth embodiment described above is different from the buffer structure according to the eighth embodiment in that each of these two buffer structures has a substantially columnar outer shape in which a pair of surfaces located in the axial direction are both approximately hexagonal. 10G, but differs from the buffer structure 10G according to the eighth embodiment described above in that the external shapes of the individual cushioning materials 1M included in the buffer structure are different from each other. have.

The outer leg rear cushioning structure 10M2 includes three cushioning structures and an upper support member 115 that supports these three cushioning structures. Each of the three buffer structures has a configuration similar to that of the buffer structure 10G according to the eighth embodiment described above, and three buffer materials 1M are arranged close to each other with a gap G between the buffer units. Become.

Each of the three cushioning materials 1M has a first end surface ES1 of a substantially square shape and a second end surface ES2 of a substantially pentagonal shape. That is, in each of these three buffer materials 1M, N is 4 and M is 5. Note that the upper support member 115 has a thin plate shape that connects the upper end portions of these three cushioning materials 1M and further connects the three cushioning structures described above. As a result, the outer leg rear cushioning structure 10M2 is constituted by a single member including the above-mentioned three cushioning structures and the upper support member 115.

Here, each of the total of nine cushioning materials 1M included in the three cushioning structures has a shape with rounded vertices and ridgelines. Similar to the cushioning materials 1I1 to 1I3 included in the cushioning structure 10G, it has an apex P (see FIG. 23) at an intermediate position between the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2. It has one ridgeline L1, two second ridgelines L2, and three third ridgelines L3.

Note that each of these three buffer structures is different from the buffer structure according to the eighth embodiment described above in that each of the three buffer structures has a substantially columnar outer shape in which a pair of surfaces located in the axial direction are approximately hexagonal. 10G, but differs from the buffer structure 10G according to the eighth embodiment described above in that the external shapes of the individual cushioning materials 1M included in the buffer structure are different from each other. have.

The inner leg front cushioning structure 10N1 includes two cushioning materials 1N and an upper support member 115 that supports these two cushioning materials 1N. Each of the two cushioning materials 1N includes one first ridge line L1 and two second ridge lines L2 by having an apex at a position halfway between the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2. However, in a strict sense, it does not fall under the cushioning material according to the present invention. The upper support member 115 has a thin plate shape that connects the upper end portions of these two cushioning materials 1N, so that the medial foot front cushioning structure 10N1 can It is composed of a single member including the buffer material 1N and the upper support member 115.

The outer leg front cushioning structure 10N2 includes two cushioning materials 1N and an upper support member 115 that supports these two cushioning materials 1N. Each of the two cushioning materials 1N includes one first ridge line L1 and two second ridge lines L2 by having an apex at a position halfway between the first end surface ES1 and the second end surface ES2. However, in a strict sense, it does not fall under the cushioning material according to the present invention. The upper support member 115 has a thin plate shape that connects the upper end portions of these two cushioning materials 1N, so that the outer leg front cushioning structure 10N2 can It is composed of a single member including the buffer material 1N and the upper support member 115.

Here, the plurality of cushioning materials 1M included in the inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1 and the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, and the plurality of cushioning materials 1M included in the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1 and the outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2. The plurality of cushioning materials 1N are arranged such that their axis AX1 (see FIG. 1, etc.) is perpendicular to the ground plane of the sole 110E. With this configuration, the load applied to the sole 110E from the sole and the ground at the time of landing is reduced by the load applied to the sole 110E from the sole of the foot and from the plurality of cushioning structures included in the inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1 and the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2. The cushioning material 1M and the cushioning material 1N included in the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1 and the outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2 deform with a large amount of deformation (as described above, the cushioning material 1N includes compression deformation and shear deformation) By doing so, the load applied from the sole 110E to the sole of the foot is reduced, and a high cushioning function is exhibited.

The inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1 and the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2 are configured to have a substantially U-shape in plan view when combined with each other. The medial foot rear cushioning structure 10M1 is disposed along the rear edge of the medial foot side of the midfoot portion R2 and the medial foot side edge of the rear foot portion R3, and is arranged along the medial side rear edge of the midfoot portion R2 and the medial foot side cushioning structure 10M1. The structure 10M2 is arranged along the rear edge of the hindfoot R3, the lateral edge of the hindfoot R3, and the rear edge of the midfoot R2 on the lateral side. There is. The region where the inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1 and the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2 are arranged is a position that approximately surrounds the portion Q3 of the sole 110E that supports the calcaneus of the foot.

The medial foot front cushioning structure 10N1 is configured to have a substantially C-shape that is wide open in plan view. The medial foot front cushioning structure 10N1 is arranged along the rear edge of the medial foot side of the forefoot portion R1 and the medial foot front edge of the midfoot portion R2. The region in which the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1 is arranged is a position along the part Q1 of the sole 110E that supports the big toe.

The outer leg front cushioning structure 10N2 is configured to have a substantially C-shape that is wide open in plan view. The front outer foot cushioning structure 10N2 is arranged along the rear edge of the forefoot R1 on the outer foot side and the front edge of the middle foot R2 on the outer foot side. The area where this outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2 is arranged is a position along the part Q2 of the sole 110E that supports the little toe of the foot.

That is, in the sole 110E according to the present embodiment, the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1 is disposed near the part Q1 of the sole 110E that supports the big toe, and the part that supports the little toe of the foot By arranging the lateral foot front cushioning structure 10N2 near Q2, and arranging the medial foot rear cushioning structure 10M1 and the lateral foot rear cushioning structure 10M2 near the part Q3 that supports the calcaneus of the foot, It is designed to exhibit high shock absorbing performance, especially in these areas where a large load is applied upon landing.

Each of the inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and the outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2 has an upper surface of the upper support member 115 serving as a base serving as a midsole. It is joined to the lower surface of 113 by, for example, adhesion. On the other hand, the lower surfaces of each of the inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and the outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2 (i.e., the plurality of cushioning materials they have) A lower support member 116 serving as an outsole is joined to the second end surface ES2) by, for example, adhesion.

As a result, as described above, each of the inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and the outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2 is connected to the base 113 and the lower It is located sandwiched between the side support member 116 and the side support member 116. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 39 and 40, the lower support member 116 serving as the outsole is configured by being divided into a plurality of members.

The material of the base 113 serving as the midsole is not particularly limited, but as explained in the above-mentioned Embodiment 14, it can be, for example, a resin or rubber foam material, and particularly preferably ethylene. - Thermoplastic resins such as vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and thermoplastic polyamide elastomer (TPAE), and foam materials such as butadiene rubber.

In the sole 110E according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 40, a difficult-to-deform part 113b having an X-shape in plan view is provided on the upper surface of the base 113 at a position corresponding to the middle foot R2. It is being This hard-to-deform portion 113b is configured to be more difficult to deform than other portions of the base portion 113, and is made of, for example, non-foamed thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) elastomer. Here, in order to facilitate understanding, in FIG. 40, the region where the hardly deformable portion 113b is provided is given a light color.

The materials of the medial foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, the external foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, the medial foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and the external foot front cushioning structure 10N2 are not particularly limited, but may be the same as those described above. As explained in Form 14 of , for example, it can be a foamed or non-foamed material of resin or rubber, particularly preferably ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic Polymer compositions such as thermoplastic resins such as polyamide elastomer (TPAE), non-foam materials such as butadiene rubber, olefin polymers, amide polymers, ester polymers, urethane polymers, styrene polymers, acrylic polymers, etc. be able to.

The material of the lower support member 116 as the outsole is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, rubber as described in the sixteenth embodiment above.

As described above, in the sole 110E according to the present embodiment, the inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and the outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2. The individual cushioning materials 1M and 1N included are connected at their upper end portions by an upper support member 115 made of the same material as the cushioning materials 1M and 1N and joined to a base 113 serving as a midsole. , are connected at their lower end portions by a lower support member 116 as an outsole made of a soft material. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to incorporate the cushioning materials 1M and 1N into the sole 110E while maintaining the deformability of the cushioning materials 1M and 1N, and a sole that exhibits a high cushioning function can be obtained. can do.

Here, with reference to FIG. 42, in the sole 110E according to the present embodiment, when the sole 110E is viewed from above, the base 113 is located along the portion Q3 that supports the calcaneus of the foot. The inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1 and the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2 arranged at the edge of the rear foot portion R3 are divided along the division line L shown in the figure in the direction in which they extend. It consists of:

The rear portion of the medial foot side of the midfoot region R2 and the medial foot side portion of the rear foot region R3, where the medial foot rear cushioning structure 10M1 is arranged, are designed from the viewpoint of suppressing the occurrence of overpronation. , which requires deformability and stability, and it is preferable that the outer shape of the medial foot rear cushioning structure 10M1 is designed to satisfy these conditions.

Specific methods to satisfy this condition include, for example, reducing the width of the gap provided in the buffer unit, increasing the area of the first end surface of the buffer material included in the buffer unit, and increasing the overall slope of the buffer material. It is assumed that the axial length of the shock absorbing unit may be made smaller or the length of the shock absorbing unit in the axial direction may be increased. Additionally, the width of the cushioning unit (that is, the external dimension in the direction intersecting the extending direction of the medial foot rear cushioning structure) may be increased, or the external dimension in the extending direction of the medial foot rear cushioning structure may be decreased. This also satisfies the above conditions.

The rear end side portion of the hindfoot R3, the lateral foot side portion of the hindfoot portion R3, and the rear portion of the midfoot portion R2 on the lateral foot side where the lateral foot rear cushioning structure 10M2 is arranged are Although the required stability is lower than that of the above-mentioned medial foot rear cushioning structure, this is a region that requires even higher deformability, and in order to satisfy these conditions, the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2 is designed to meet these conditions. Preferably, the outer shape is designed.

Specific methods to satisfy this condition include, for example, increasing the width of the gap provided in the shock absorbing unit, reducing the area of the first end surface of the shock absorbing material included in the shock absorbing unit, and increasing the overall slope of the shock absorbing material. It is assumed that the axial length of the shock absorbing unit may be increased or the axial length of the shock absorbing unit may be reduced. Additionally, the width of the cushioning unit (i.e., the external dimension in the direction that intersects the direction in which the rear cushioning structure of the outer leg extends) may be reduced, or the external dimension in the direction in which the rear cushioning structure of the outer leg extends is increased. This also satisfies the above conditions.

With this configuration, around the part Q3 that supports the calcaneus of the foot, the compression rigidity of the rear part of the medial foot side of the midfoot part R2 and the part of the medial foot side of the rear foot part R3 are increased. The compression rigidity becomes relatively high, and the compression rigidity of the rear end side part of the hindfoot part R3, the compression rigidity of the lateral foot side part of the hindfoot part R3, and the rear part of the lateral foot side of the midfoot part R2. The compressive stiffness of the portion becomes relatively low (that is, the deformability becomes relatively high).

Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of so-called overpronation, in which the heel portion falls inward more than necessary upon landing. That is, when a person who is prone to overpronation wears the shoe 100E equipped with the sole 110E according to the present embodiment, the back part of the medial foot side of the midfoot R2 and the medial side of the rear foot R3 can be improved. Since it becomes possible to stably support the sole of the foot on the foot side, it becomes possible to disperse the pressure acting on the base 113 as a midsole, thereby preventing excessive deformation of the base 113. The occurrence of overpronation can be suppressed, and as a result, the occurrence of overpronation can be suppressed.

Furthermore, with this configuration, as described above, it becomes possible to stably support the sole of the foot at the rear portion of the medial foot side of the midfoot portion R2 and the medial foot side portion of the rear foot portion R3. Therefore, it becomes possible to disperse the pressure acting on the base 113 as a midsole, and it is possible to suppress excessive deformation of the base 113, so that people with valgus flat feet can use this implementation. By wearing the shoe 100E equipped with the sole 110E according to this configuration, it is possible to avoid concentration of burden on the medial side of the foot when landing.

On the other hand, by configuring as described above, the rear end side portion of the hindfoot portion R3, the lateral foot side portion of the hindfoot portion R3, and the rear portion of the lateral foot side of the midfoot portion R2 are exposed to the outside at the time of landing. By deforming the rear foot cushioning structure 10M2 to a greater extent, it becomes possible to significantly reduce the impact applied to the sole of the foot upon landing.

Therefore, the sole 110E according to the present embodiment and the shoe 100E equipped with the same provide excellent stability during landing, which is particularly suitable for people who tend to overpronate or have flat feet. It is possible to obtain a shoe sole that feels good on the foot and is lightweight, and shoes equipped with the same.

(Embodiment 19)
FIG. 43 is a perspective view of the sole of the shoe according to Embodiment 19, viewed from the ground contact side. FIG. 44 is a plan view of the sole shown in FIG. 43. FIG. 45 is a side view of the sole shown in FIG. 43 viewed from the outer foot side. Moreover, FIG. 46 is a schematic bottom view of the shoe sole shown in FIG. 43 with the lower support member removed. Hereinafter, a shoe sole 110F according to the present embodiment and a shoe 100F including the same will be described with reference to FIGS. 43 to 46. Note that the shoe 100F according to the present embodiment includes a sole 110F described below in place of the sole 110A included in the shoe 100A according to the fourteenth embodiment described above.

As shown in FIGS. 43 to 46, the sole 110F according to the present embodiment has a sole 110F that is difficult to deform, provided in the base 113 as a midsole, when compared with the sole 110E according to the eighteenth embodiment described above. Only the position of portion 113b is different. Specifically, the hard-to-deform part 113b is not provided on the upper surface of the base 113, but on the rear part of the lower surface of the base 113 on the medial side of the forefoot R1, and on the lateral side of the forefoot R1. It is located in the rear part, almost the whole of the middle foot part R2, and the whole of the rear foot part R3.

This hard-to-deform part 113b is a part configured to be more difficult to deform than other parts of the base part 113, and is made of, for example, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) elastomer, as in the case of the eighteenth embodiment described above. has been done. Here, in order to facilitate understanding, in FIG. 45 , the region where the hardly deformable portion 113b is provided is given a light color.

In the sole 110F according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and the outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2 will be joined to the lower surface of the base portion 113 defined by the hardly deformable portion 113b. The configurations of the inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and the outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2 are the same as those in the eighteenth embodiment described above. Since it is the same as that, the explanation will not be repeated here.

Therefore, by using the sole 110F according to the present embodiment and the shoe 100F equipped with the same, the shoe sole 110F according to the present embodiment is suitable for people who are prone to overpronation or people with valgus flat feet, as in the case of the eighteenth embodiment described above. It is possible to provide a particularly suitable sole that is excellent in stability upon landing, provides good contact with the foot, and is lightweight, and shoes equipped with the same.

In addition, in the sole 110F according to the present embodiment, as described above, the upper part of the base 113, which is a part with relatively high deformability (that is, excluding the hard-to-deform part 113b of the base 113) ) and the medial foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, the lateral foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, the medial foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and the lateral foot front cushioning structure 10N2, which have relatively high deformability. A thin plate-shaped hard-to-deform portion 113b whose deformability is lower than that is located.

Therefore, by using the sole 110F according to the present embodiment, compared to the case where the sole 110E according to the 18th embodiment described above is used, when landing, the medial foot rear side cushioning structure 10M1, The load applied to the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and the outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2 is made more uniform by the hardly deformable portion 113b. This is because the hard-to-deform part 113b is difficult to deform compared to the surrounding area, so that the inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, This is to pressurize the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1 and the outer foot front cushioning structure 10N2.

Therefore, by using the sole 110F according to the present embodiment and the shoe 100F including the same, the inner foot rear cushioning structure 10M1, the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, the inner foot front cushioning structure 10N1, and the outer foot cushioning structure 10M1, the outer foot rear cushioning structure 10M2, It becomes possible to suppress local excessive deformation of the front foot shock absorbing structure 10N2, and it becomes possible to obtain stable shock absorbing performance.

In addition, by configuring as described above, the objects to be bonded to the cushioning structures such as the medial foot rear cushioning structure, the lateral foot rear cushioning structure, the medial foot front cushioning structure, and the lateral foot front cushioning structure are exposed to heat. Since the difficult-to-deform part is made of a non-foam material such as plastic polyurethane (TPU), the gluing work is much easier than when the object to be bonded is a foam material (particularly when positioning during pasting is difficult). You can also obtain secondary effects such as:

(Summary of disclosure contents in embodiments, etc.)
The characteristic configurations disclosed in the first to nineteenth embodiments and their modifications described above are summarized as follows.

A cushioning material according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a first end surface and a second end surface that face each other in the axial direction, which is the direction in which the axis extends, and a plurality of The external shape having the connection surface as the outer surface is columnar. The first end face has an N-gonal outer shape (N is an integer of 3 or more) when viewed along the axial direction, and the second end face has an M polygonal outer shape when viewed along the axial direction. It is a square (M is an integer greater than or equal to 4 and greater than N). (MN) vertices are provided at intermediate positions in the axial direction of the circumferential surface defined by the plurality of connecting surfaces. In the cushioning material according to an aspect of the present disclosure, from the (MN) vertices provided on the circumferential surface to one of the N vertices provided on the first end surface. One first ridge line is provided so as to reach from the (MN) vertices provided on the circumferential surface to two adjacent vertices in the circumferential direction among the M vertices provided on the second end surface. two second ridgelines are provided to reach the remaining vertices of the N vertices of the first end surface and the remaining vertices of the M vertices of the second end surface; (2×NM) third ridge lines are provided so as to reach . The ridgelines included in the first ridgeline, the second ridgeline, and the third ridgeline do not intersect with each other. Accordingly, in the cushioning material according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the plurality of connection surfaces are defined by the ridge lines included in the first ridge line, the second ridge line, and the third ridge line.

The cushioning material according to an aspect of the present disclosure may be solid or hollow. Here, the term "solid" means a structure without a cavity inside, and the term "hollow" means a structure with a cavity inside.

The cushioning material according to an aspect of the present disclosure may be made of any one of a resin foam material, a resin non-foam material, a rubber foam material, and a rubber non-foam material. good.

In the cushioning material according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the M is preferably 10 or less.

In the cushioning material according to an aspect of the present disclosure, all of the third ridge lines may be inclined in the same direction around the axis.

A buffer structure according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of cushioning materials according to a certain aspect of the present disclosure described above.

A buffer structure according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes a buffer unit formed by combining a plurality of buffer materials into a unit. Each of the plurality of cushioning materials is made of a cushioning material according to an aspect of the present disclosure described above. The plurality of cushioning materials are arranged adjacent to each other such that the connection surfaces defined by the first ridgeline and the second ridgeline, among the plurality of connection surfaces that they each have, face each other with a gap between them. has been done. In the buffer structure according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the size of the gap formed between the plurality of buffer materials is substantially constant.

A buffer structure according to a third aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of sets of buffer units included in the above-described buffer structure according to the second aspect of the present disclosure.

In the buffer structure according to the second and third aspects of the present disclosure, the plurality of buffer materials include two buffer materials in which the first end surface is pentagonal and the second end surface is hexagonal. and two second cushioning materials whose first end surfaces are square and whose second end surfaces are pentagonal , for a total of four cushioning materials. In that case, the two first cushioning materials and the two second cushioning materials are arranged alternately along the circumferential direction of the cushioning unit, and the two first cushioning materials and the two second cushioning materials are arranged alternately along the circumferential direction of the cushioning unit. The direction of the first shock absorbing material is opposite to the direction of the two second shock absorbing materials along the axial direction, so that the shock absorbing unit has an approximately hexagonal columnar outer shape as a whole. is preferred.

In the buffer structure according to the second and third aspects of the present disclosure, one of the third ridge lines of each of the plurality of buffer materials is located on the peripheral surface of the buffer unit. However, both may be tilted in the same direction around the axis of the shock absorbing unit.

A buffer structure according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure includes a buffer unit formed by combining a plurality of buffer materials into a unit. Each of the plurality of cushioning materials is made of a cushioning material according to an aspect of the present disclosure described above. The plurality of cushioning materials are arranged adjacent to each other such that among the plurality of connection surfaces that they each have, the connection surfaces defined only by the third ridge line face each other with a gap between them. In the buffer structure according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the size of the gap formed between the plurality of buffer materials is substantially constant.

A buffer structure according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of sets of buffer units included in the above-described buffer structure according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure.

In the buffer structures according to the fourth and fifth aspects of the present disclosure, the plurality of buffer materials include three buffer structures in which the first end surface is a quadrangle and the second end surface is a pentagon. It may be made of a cushioning material. In that case, the three cushioning materials are arranged side by side along the circumferential direction of the cushioning unit, so that the cushioning unit as a whole is divided into a pair of cushioning materials located in the axial direction of the cushioning unit. It is preferable that each of the surfaces has a substantially columnar outer shape with hexagonal shapes.

In the buffer structure according to the fourth and fifth aspects of the present disclosure, the first ridgeline that each of the plurality of cushioning materials has, and the first ridgeline that each of the plurality of cushioning materials has. Of the three ridgelines, those located on the circumferential surface of the buffer unit may all be inclined in the same direction around the axis of the buffer unit.

A shoe sole according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes the cushioning material according to a certain aspect of the present disclosure described above.

In the shoe sole according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the cushioning material is arranged such that the axis is perpendicular to the ground plane.

A shoe sole according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes any one of the cushioning structures according to the first to fifth aspects of the present disclosure described above.

In the shoe sole according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the plurality of cushioning materials are arranged such that the axis of each of the plurality of cushioning materials is perpendicular to the ground plane. It is preferable.

A shoe according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes either the sole according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure described above, and an upper provided above the sole. .

In particular, the characteristic configurations disclosed in the 18th and 19th embodiments described above are summarized as follows.

A sole according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a midsole, an outsole located below the midsole, and a buffer structure located between the midsole and the outsole. There is. The buffer structure is located at least at the edge of the rear foot portion of the midsole along a portion of the sole that supports the calcaneus of the foot. The buffer structure is comprised of a buffer structure according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure described above, and the buffer unit included in the buffer structure according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure described above is A plurality of these are arranged in a line along the edge of the hindfoot. Each of the plurality of buffer units is connected to at least one of the adjacent buffer units by a thin plate-shaped support member.

In the shoe sole according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the support member may be provided at an end of the plurality of buffer units on the midsole side, in which case, It is preferable that the buffer structure is fixed to the midsole by joining the support member to the lower surface of the midsole.

In the sole according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the cushioning structure is divided in the direction in which the cushioning structure extends when the sole is viewed from above, so that It may include a side cushioning structure and a rear foot cushioning structure. In that case, the external shapes of each of the plurality of cushioning units are different so that there is a difference between the deformability of the inner foot rear cushioning structure and the deformability of the outer foot rear cushioning structure. Good too. In that case, it is preferable that the deformability of the outer foot rear cushioning structure is higher than the deformability of the inner foot rear cushioning structure.

In the shoe sole according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the sole is bonded to the second end surface of each of the plurality of cushioning materials included in the plurality of cushioning units so as to cover the second end surface of each of the plurality of cushioning materials. The outsole may be fixed to the cushioning structure by.

In the sole according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the plurality of cushioning materials are arranged such that the axis of each of the plurality of cushioning materials is perpendicular to the ground plane. It is preferable.

A shoe according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes any of the soles according to the other aspects of the present disclosure described above, and an upper provided above the sole.

Note that the cushioning material according to an aspect of the present disclosure described above has a part or all of the portions where the first end surface, the second end surface, and the plurality of connection surfaces connect to each other (i.e., the one The first ridgeline, the two second ridgelines, the (2×NM) third ridgelines, and some or all of the plurality of vertices) are acute or obtuse in the strict sense, or It is not necessary to have right-angled corners, and some or all of the portions are planes that are sufficiently smaller than the first end surface, the second end surface, and the plurality of connecting surfaces of the adjacent portions. Alternatively, they may be connected via a curved surface. That is, some or all of these portions may be chamfered, for example, or may have a rounded shape. Moreover, a part or all of the first end surface, the second end surface, and the plurality of connection surfaces may be flat or curved. Furthermore, a recessed portion, a convex portion, or the like may be provided in part or all of the first end surface, the second end surface, and the plurality of connection surfaces.

(Other forms, etc.)
In Embodiments 14 to 19 described above, as a method for manufacturing a shoe sole equipped with a cushioning material according to the present invention, a plurality of sets of cushioning structures as cushioning units are sandwiched between a lower support member and an upper support member. Although the explanation has been limited to the method of fixing to the base by adhesion or the like and the method of fixing to the base by adhesive or the like, it is also possible to manufacture this according to other manufacturing methods.

For example, the sole may be constructed of a single sole member, and one or more sets of buffer structures may be embedded within the sole member by insert molding during molding. In that case, if the thickness of the sole member and the axial outer dimension of the cushioning structure are made the same, the bottom surface of the cushioning structure will be located on the same plane as the bottom surface of the sole. Note that an outsole may be further attached to the bottom surface of the sole member after the cushioning structure has been insert-molded as described above.

Alternatively, the sole may be constructed of a single sole member, and one or more recesses may be provided only on the upper or lower surface of the sole, and a buffer structure serving as a buffer unit may be fitted into the recess. In that case, the upper will be placed further above the buffer structure and the sole member. Note that an outsole may be further attached to the bottom surface of the sole member or the cushioning structure after the cushioning structure is fitted.

Furthermore, in the above-described 14th to 19th embodiments, the explanation was given by exemplifying a shoe sole including a plurality of sets of buffer structures as buffer units and shoes including the same, but one set of buffer structures Only the body may be provided in the sole of the shoe, or a mixture of these cushioning structures and the cushioning material shown in the first embodiment and its modifications may be provided in the sole. Furthermore, it is naturally possible to provide a shoe sole that includes only the cushioning material shown in the above-described first embodiment and its modifications.

In addition, the cushioning structure and/or the cushioning material and the sole member may be made of the same type of material and both made of resin or rubber foam, or they may be made of different types of material and made of resin or rubber foam. It may also be formed from a rubber foam material.

Furthermore, in Embodiments 14 to 19 described above, the case where the cushioning material according to the present invention is applied to the sole of a shoe has been explained as an example, but the cushioning material according to the present invention can be applied to other cushioning materials. It can be used for various purposes. For example, the cushioning material according to the present invention can be used for various purposes such as packaging materials, flooring materials for buildings (for example, houses, etc.), surface materials for paved roads, surface materials for sofas and chairs, tires, etc. can.

Furthermore, the characteristic configurations disclosed in the first to nineteenth embodiments and their modifications described above can be combined with each other within the scope of the invention.

In this way, the embodiments and their modifications disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and includes all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

1A to 1D Cushioning material, 1E1, 1E2 First buffer material, 1F1, 1F2 Second buffer material, 1G1, 1G2 First buffer material, 1H1, 1H2 Second buffer material, 1I1 to 1I3, 1J1 to 1J3, 1K1 to 1K3, 1L1 ~ 1L3, 1M, 1N Cushioning material, 10A ~ 10G, 10G1 ~ 10G3, 10H ~ 10L Buffer structure, 10M1 Inner foot rear cushioning structure, 10M2 Outer foot rear cushioning structure, 10N1 Inner foot front cushioning structure , 10N2 Outer foot front cushioning structure, 11, 11a, 11b support member, 100A to 100F shoes, 110A to 110F sole, 111 lower support member, 112 upper support member, 113 base, 113a protrusion, 113b hardly deformable part , 114 Lower support member, 115 Upper support member, 116 Lower support member, 120 Upper, 121 Upper main body, 122 Shoe tongue, 123 Shoe lace, AX1 Axis of cushioning material, AX2 Axis of cushioning unit, CS Connection surface, ES1 No. 1 end surface, ES2 2nd end surface, G gap, L1 1st ridgeline, L2 2nd ridgeline, L3 3rd ridgeline, P Vertex provided in the middle of the circumferential surface, Q1 Part that supports the big toe, Q2 Little toe Supporting part, Q3 part supporting the calcaneus, R1 forefoot part, R2 midfoot part, R3 hindfoot part.

Claims (14)

A buffer structure including a buffer unit formed by combining a plurality of buffer materials into a unit,
Each of the plurality of cushioning materials has a first end surface and a second end surface that face each other in the axial direction, which is the direction in which the axis extends, and a peripheral surface that connects the peripheral edge of the first end surface and the peripheral edge of the second end surface. The outer surface has a columnar shape,
The first end surface has an N-gonal outer shape (N is an integer of 3 or more) when viewed along the axial direction,
The second end surface has an M-gonal outer shape when viewed along the axial direction (M is an integer larger than N and smaller than 2×N),
(MN) vertices are provided at intermediate positions in the axial direction of the circumferential surface,
One first ridge line is provided so as to reach one of the N vertices of the first end surface from the (MN) vertices provided on the peripheral surface,
Two second ridge lines are provided so as to reach two vertices adjacent in the circumferential direction among the M vertices of the second end surface from the (MN) vertices provided on the circumferential surface. is,
(2×NM) third ridge lines are provided so as to reach the remaining vertices among the M vertices of the second end surface from the remaining vertices of the N vertices of the first end surface. ,
The ridge lines included in the first ridge line, the second ridge line, and the third ridge line do not intersect with each other,
The peripheral surface is configured by a plurality of connection surfaces defined by ridgelines included in the first ridgeline, the second ridgeline, and the third ridgeline,
The plurality of cushioning materials are configured such that among the plurality of connection surfaces that the plurality of cushioning materials have, connection surfaces defined by at least one of the first ridgeline and the second ridgeline face each other with a gap between them. are placed next to each other,
A buffer structure in which the size of the gap formed between the plurality of buffer materials is substantially constant. The buffer structure according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of sets of the buffer units. The plurality of cushioning materials include two first cushioning materials whose first end surfaces are pentagonal and whose second end surfaces are hexagonal, and whose first end surfaces are quadrilateral and whose second end surfaces are pentagonal. Consisting of a total of 4 cushioning materials including the 2 second cushioning materials,
The two first cushioning materials and the two second cushioning materials are arranged alternately along the circumferential direction of the cushioning unit, and the two first cushioning materials are arranged along the axial direction. and the direction of the two second shock absorbing materials along the axial direction are opposite to each other, so that the shock absorbing unit has a substantially hexagonal columnar outer shape as a whole . The buffer structure described in . Of the third ridgelines of each of the plurality of cushioning materials, those located on the peripheral surface of the cushioning unit are all inclined in the same direction around the axis of the cushioning unit. The buffer structure according to any one of Items 1 to 3 . A buffer structure including a buffer unit formed by combining a plurality of buffer materials into a unit,
Each of the plurality of cushioning materials has a first end face and a second end face that face each other in the axial direction, which is the direction in which the axis line extends, and a peripheral face that connects the peripheral edge of the first end face and the peripheral edge of the second end face. The outer surface has a columnar shape,
The first end surface has an N-gonal outer shape (N is an integer of 3 or more) when viewed along the axial direction,
The second end surface has an M-gonal outer shape when viewed along the axial direction (M is an integer larger than N and smaller than 2×N),
(MN) vertices are provided at intermediate positions in the axial direction of the circumferential surface,
One first ridge line is provided so as to reach one of the N vertices of the first end surface from the (MN) vertices provided on the circumferential surface,
Two second ridge lines are provided so as to reach two vertices adjacent in the circumferential direction among the M vertices of the second end surface from the (MN) vertices provided on the circumferential surface. is,
(2×NM) third ridge lines are provided so as to reach the remaining vertices among the M vertices of the second end surface from the remaining vertices of the N vertices of the first end surface. ,
The ridge lines included in the first ridge line, the second ridge line, and the third ridge line do not intersect with each other,
The peripheral surface is constituted by a plurality of connection surfaces defined by ridgelines included in the first ridgeline, the second ridgeline, and the third ridgeline,
The plurality of cushioning materials are arranged adjacent to each other such that among the plurality of connection surfaces that the plurality of cushioning materials have, connection surfaces defined only by the third ridge line face each other with a gap therebetween;
A buffer structure in which the size of the gap formed between the plurality of buffer materials is substantially constant. The buffer structure according to claim 5 , comprising a plurality of sets of the buffer units. The plurality of cushioning materials are composed of three cushioning materials in which the first end surface is square and the second end surface is pentagonal,
By arranging the three cushioning materials side by side along the circumferential direction of the cushioning unit, the cushioning unit as a whole has a pair of surfaces located in the axial direction of the cushioning unit with six sides. The buffer structure according to claim 5 or 6 , having a substantially square columnar outer shape. The first ridgeline of each of the plurality of cushioning materials and the third ridgeline of each of the plurality of cushioning materials located on the peripheral surface of the buffer unit are both The buffer structure according to any one of claims 5 to 7 , wherein the buffer structure is tilted in the same direction around the axis of the buffer unit. The buffer structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein each of the plurality of buffer materials is solid or hollow. Any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein each of the plurality of cushioning materials is made of any one of a resin foam material, a resin non-foam material, a rubber foam material, and a rubber non-foam material. The buffer structure described in Crab . The buffer structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the M is 10 or less. A shoe sole comprising the buffer structure according to any one of claims 1 to 11 . The sole according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of cushioning materials are arranged such that the axis of each of the plurality of cushioning materials is orthogonal to a ground plane. The sole according to claim 12 or 13 ;
and an upper provided above the sole.

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